1.2 million will try to quit

New statistics show that up to 1.2 million people in England may try to stop smoking in 2008.

Cancer Research UK examined trends relating to smokers' habits since 2006. They discovered that January was the month chosen by most smokers to give up.

The charity stated that those smokers who gave up in January had a higher chance of success than those people who tried to give up during other months.

The most recent statistics showed that almost a quarter - 24% - of the adult population in England were smokers.

Professor Robert West, director of tobacco studies at the Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Unit, said that 13% of smokers attempted to give up smoking in January 2007.

Smoking trends revealed that people who gave up cigarettes as one of their New Year's resolutions were more successful than those smokers who tried at different times of the year.

Professor West said: "We have found that almost half of all smokers actually try to quit at least once over the course of the year and one in eight try to quit in January."

"But I was particularly interested to find that, contrary to popular scepticism of New Year's Resolutions, smokers who quit in January also tended to be more successful at staying off cigarettes."

Professor West said that many smokers were not aware that they could receive free advice and help from the NHS. He emphasised that smokers who wished to give up needed to have "the right medication" and have it explained to them.

The health service will launch a campaign in 2008 to promote available services which could help people to stop smoking.